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You are part of a football team at an international tournament representing your country. Your team has played really well to reach the final. However, a day before the final match you witness the best forward players who scored the maximum goals in the tournament were injecting something using a syringe in private. When you approach them, they explain that it is a performance enhancing drug which is very common in such competitions and they suggested, you should take the same as well. When you enquire more about it, you get to know that those players have been taking the drug throughout the tournament at the advice of the coach himself. You discuss this issue with the coach but he tells you to ignore all this and concentrate on your own performance and threatens you of dire consequences if you reveal this to anyone.
a. Highlight the stakeholders and their ethical issues in this case
b. Discuss your course of action in such a scenario.
c. What long term measures would you suggest to stop the usage of such unfair means in sports.
08 Jan, 2021 GS Paper 4 Case Studies(a) Introduction
The given case deals with the issue of using unjust means for self interests. This case is based on the dilemma of means vs. end debate in the centre. This case has multiple stakeholders involved and requires a number of issues to be resolved.
Body
Stakeholders Ethical issues involved I as a sportsman - Issue of personal benefit vs adherence to principle of honesty.
- Being just by disclosing the wrongdoing to the team management and the organisers.
- Dilemma of self honesty vs notions of nationalism.
Players indulging in doping - Moral corruption.
- Presenting a wrong model of success.
- Defying sportsmanship.
Coach - Accountability for his wrongdoing.
- Dereliction of duty.
- Deterioration of moral values.
- Breaching codes of ethics in sports.
- Corruption of players.
My Team - Honour and pride is at stake.
- To maintain fairness in matches.
- Maintaining integrity of sports.
Other Teams - Victims of injustice and unfairness.
Budding Footballers and spectators - Erosion of trust in fairness in sports.
- Disappointment if they find their role models indulging in doping.
Team Management - Obeying the principles of justice by bringing the culprits to book.
- Upholding integrity of the nation.
- Be transparent in conduct.
Organisers of the tournament - Maintaining fairness non partisanship in the tournament.
(b)
Possible Actions Merits Demerits 1 Take drugs as advised by the players indulged in doping. It will enhance my performance and will help me make my team win the final. It is morally wrong and will have an adverse impact on my overall health.
Even if we win, I will always be guilty in my conscience.
2 Hide my findings of doping and concentrate on my performance My team will be saved from any embarrassment.
Our team will have a greater chance to win the tournament.I would be defying the ethics of sportsmanship.
Emotional Dissonance.
It shall exonerate the players and the coach who should be held accountable for cheating.
3 Report the team management about the wrongdoings. It will bring the culprit players and the coach to justice.
It will restore fairness in the competition.
It shall bring peace to my conscience.
It shall incur me the wrath of my coach.
It could imperil my sports career.
My personal relationship with some of my teammates would be hampered.
4 Inform the organiser of the tournament.
It shall choose the winners on the basis of fairness.
My team could be disqualified for cheating and indulging in unfair means to win.
It could bring public ridicule to me in my country.
- The first two actions would not be taken by me because the former is against the ethics of sportsmanship and the latter is morally unsound.
- I will definitely take the third action because it is most correct and morally appropriate.
- I will have the fourth action if the team managements don’t take appropriate actions against the doping players and coach or don’t inform the organisers about it.
Conclusion
Thus, this course of actions may have detrimental implications on my country, team and my personal growth as a sportsman, but they would be temporary. In the long run it shall bring me satisfaction and glory to my team and country for preferring honesty and justice over an unfair win.
(c) Measures To Prevent Doping In Sports
- Promotion of the idea that winning and losing depends on the talents of the individual and teams rather than the strength of the country. This could prevent sports from becoming an arena for competing national pride.
- Implementation of anti doping policies by the sports authorities.
- Conduction of anti doping awareness programs to sensitize players about its unethicality and adverse impacts on health.
- Legislating stricter penalties and punishments as a deterrent to doping.
- Preventing sales of non prescribed drugs used for doping.
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